Run sfc as mombodog suggested, but you may also want to run extended diagnostics test on the hard drive, it case it's failing. Reboot and press F12 before XP starts to load. Go to Utilities partition and select
extended hard drive tests.
And back up all your personal files to external media asap, just to be safe. ;)
It apparently found two files, however it would not recognise my Windows CD. It said either the CD was a different version of Windows or my CD drive wasn't working - which it is. The CD is the one supplied by Dell with my PC.
I've run the extended tests from the boot-up menu. And an extended memory test overnight. No problems.
Looking at the disc in My Computer, it says XP_MCE_SP2, which I assume to be Media Centre Edition with SP2. Is there any way to tell if that is actually what is on the disc?
The page for ordering the disc from Dell requires a Us address, and I'm in the UK. Even the euro support page search function finds a link to that address page.
Even if the disc has an different version of Windows, would it be possible to use the recovery console from that disc to copy the two files from the disc to my hard drive? Or will those files be different? Will I create worse problems if I try?
There is an earlier version of the ntkrnlpa.exe file on the Windows CD than is on my computer. There is no ndis.sys file.
So I used the recovery console to copy the ntkrnlpa file from the Windows CD into the C:\windows\system32 folder. This cause the PC to fail to boot. So I restored the original file in safe mode and all was well (or as well as it was before).
Well, problem solved. Tiscali had changed the settings on the broadband because I was getting an upgrade. How that messed with the drivers on my PC, I don't know. But now I have a new modem and router, everything works perfectly - no driver problems at all.
mombodog
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January 15th, 2008 21:00
RoHe
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January 16th, 2008 03:00
And back up all your personal files to external media asap, just to be safe. ;)
Ron
Message Edited by RoHe on 01-15-2008 09:06 PM
gjs74656
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January 16th, 2008 10:00
mombodog
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January 16th, 2008 13:00
RoHe
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January 16th, 2008 16:00
If Dell won't send you an SP2 CD, you'll have to create a slip-streamed CD with XP from your CD and SP2 downloaded free from Microsoft.
Ron
gjs74656
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January 17th, 2008 09:00
Message Edited by gjs74656 on 01-17-2008 11:30 AM
gjs74656
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January 17th, 2008 18:00
gjs74656
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January 20th, 2008 11:00